Microsphaeropsis arundinis: an emerging cause of phaeohyphomycosis in cats and people

George Reppas; Thomas Gottlieb; Mark Krockenberger; Catriona Halliday; Richard Malik

doi:10.1071/MA15025

RESEARCH ARTICLE

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Microsphaeropsis arundinis: an emerging cause of phaeohyphomycosis in cats and people

George Reppas ^A , Thomas Gottlieb ^B , Mark Krockenberger ^C , Catriona Halliday ^D and Richard Malik ^E ^F

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Vetnostics, 60 Waterloo Road, North Ryde, NSW 2113, Australia

^B Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Concord NSW 2139, Australia

^C Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia

^D CIDMLS, ICPMR – Pathology West, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia

^E Centre for Veterinary Education, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia

^F Corresponding author. Email: Richard.Malik@sydney.edu.au

Microbiology Australia 36(2) 74-78 https://doi.org/10.1071/MA15025
Published: 17 March 2015

Abstract

Microsphaeropsis arundinis is an anamorphic dematiaceous fungus ubiquitous in soil and fresh water¹^–⁴. It typically inhabits terrestrial plant hosts¹^–⁴ and has a well-known association with Aruno donax, a garden escape weed known as ‘giant reed’ or ‘elephant grass’. M. arundinis (fungi imperfecti) is a coelomycete, which encompasses an emerging group of pathogens capable of causing soft tissue infections, mostly in immunocompromised human patients. Such disease typically arises secondary to traumatic inoculation of fungal elements into the subcutis. The infection may spread to contiguous subcutaneous tissues or via the lymphatics in a sporotrichoid manner. The first reports of this organism causing disease occurred just over 10 years ago, and since then an increasing number of cases have been encountered, but so far only in cats and people. In cats, lesions are most consistently encountered on their distal extremities, viz. on or near the toes.

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